Smiles

I've watched the video for Feist's 1, 2, 3, 4 too many times now, but it still leaves me unreasonably happy each time I see it.


One of the commenters in the YouTube thread had this to say about it:

Damn! When did Bjork get so skinny? Or is it Cat Power so happy? Or is it Charlotte Gainsbourg in sequins? who knows, they're all alike . . .

I can't agree that they're all alike, but there does seem to be some sort of connection there. A happier and more energetic Cat Power would probably bear more than a bit of a resemblance to Feist. Even so, this video for "Cross Bones Style" leaves me in something like the same mood:


Another connection between the two is that many, if not most of the comment threads on both videos consist of variations on "I'm so in love with her".

Feist shows another side in video for One Evening. Time to go buy the CD.

Crime Zero

A great deal has been written about the recent controversy over a particular number and efforts to remove it from the Web. I liked this contribution, from John Marcotte at Badmouth:

[W]e have made a flag, a symbol to show support for personal freedoms. Spread it as far and wide as you can. We give this flag away freely, and also give away the rights for people to make similar, derivative works. the colors of the flag are (in hex code format):

#09F911 #029D74 #E35BD8 #4156C5 #635688

The letters “C0" are added to signify that simply publishing a number is “Crime Zero.”

I'll fly the flag myself once I can find a moment to figure out how -- long may it wave.

Authoritah

Cartman
Originally uploaded by 3abbess.

For all the talk you hear of Bush Jr. as a petulant five-year-old, it always seemed like an exaggeration -- just so much hyperbolic rhetoric; satire. But no, satire is dead. It can't hold a candle to the real world. The President of the United States actually said this:

The question is, who ought to make that decision? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear -- I'm the commander guy.

So all this time that Junior's been playing the "trust the commanders' judgment" card, he didn't really mean that the professional soldiers should be the ones who make the decisions, he was just reverting to his default behavior of stamping his feet and demanding that everyone do what he wants. Or in other words:

You will respect my authoritah!

The thought of Eric Cartman occupying the White House and directing the government of the most powerful nation on earth is one to banish sleep for years. But it does explain more than a few things.

And as for Junior's abilities as the "commander guy", I'm reminded of comments made by General Norman Schwartzkopf when he was asked to evaluate another head of state posing as "commander guy":

He is neither a strategist, nor is he schooled in the operational art, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general, nor is he a soldier. Other than that, he's a great military man, I want you to know that.

A heckuva job, indeed.